Construction Of The Golden Gate Bridge

May 27, 1937 was Pedestrian Day in San Francisco. This kicked off a week-long

celebration of the new Golden Gate Bridge. Pedestrian Day meant that the bridge was

open to foot traffic for 25 cents per person. About 200,000 people paid the fee and

crossed the 1.7-mile span in their walking shoes or on roller skates. For the first time, it

was possible to walk across the San Francisco Bay, from the northern tip of San

Francisco to the southern end of Marin County. Automobile traffic was permitted the

next day at noon.

Before the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed, San Francisco was a relatively isolated

city. It sat at the top of a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water that was difficult

to cross. The “Golden Gate” itself is a narrow strip of water at the mouth of the San

Francisco Bay. With strong currents and a depth of 400 feet, the Golden Gate strait is

foreboding to sailors. On the other hand, circumnavigating the whole San Francisco Bay

has its drawbacks too: the trip is hundreds of miles long and involves crossing several

rivers, which can become shallow sand traps.

For these reasons, ferry service between San Francisco and Marin County began in 1820.

First the ferry was only for railroad passengers, but later on people could bring their

automobiles in tow. This became booming business.

When bridge proposals became serious, the ferry companies, including the Southern

Pacific Railroad Company, opposed any bridge as competition. The military also

objected to spanning the San Francisco Bay; they questioned whether the bridge would

interfere with war ships. People in general wondered about the sturdiness of a suspension

bridge, which is held by cables and strung between towers. Could such a bridge withstand

the Bay’s strong gusts of wind? How would the bridge remain rooted in the ocean floor?

Nonetheless, by the 1900s it was evident that ferries alone could not handle travel

demands. The city’s growth would be restricted until it overcame obstacles to trading

with Northern California. In 1916 the Chicago-based engineer Joseph Strauss responded

to San Francisco’s call for bridge submissions. Immediate local support mixed with

alleged bribery helped him secure support from the city council. Strauss personally

traveled north, too, to lobby Marin County council members and business people. He

assured them that once a bridge was built from San Francisco, their businesses and

property values would grow. He gained their support. By 1932, the founder of San

Francisco-based Bank of America agreed to finance the estimated $30 million project.

Work started in 1933.

The Golden Gate Bridge blueprints were improved upon since Strauss’s original

submission. Strauss had little experience with suspension style bridges, so he hired a

team of architects who made significant contributions. Today, the Purdue professor

Charles Ellis is widely recognized as being the main architect behind the bridge, while

Strauss is regarded as its organizer and promoter. A San Francisco architect named Irving

Morrow, who was part of Strauss’s team, also made important contributions. He

suggested painting the bridge a color he called “international orange”. This would

complement the surrounding blues and greens of nature, and simultaneously make the

bridge visible through fog. (If the bridge coloring had been left to the government or

Strauss, it would likely have been black.) Irving also designed the bridge’s arches to play

with light throughout the day, making the bridge especially pleasing to the eye. Electric

lighting along the cables adds to the visual appeal at night.

The project was completed within four years and under budget at $27 million. The final

project was built to withstand the Bay’s high winds; it can sway 27 feet and still safely

hold traffic. It has only been closed a few times since 1937 when winds reached 70 miles

per hour.

Today, ferry service continues between San Francisco and Marin County, but the Golden

Gate Bridge carries over 40 million passengers each year.

More Articles

An Overview Of Death Valley

... is the principal feature of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve, which is devoted to ecological conservation. The diverse landscape features desert sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, and a vast expanse of multi-hued rock. It is also home to uniquely adapted plants and animals. Among the ... 

Plymouth Rock

... profit, an iron gate was soon erected. In 1880 the top of the rock was moved back to shore and affixed to the bottom portion with cement. At this time, the landing date 1620 was carved. In 1920 the rock was moved yet again. In honor of the 300th anniversary of the Plymouth Rock landing, the entire Plymouth ... 

Mount St. Helens

... year-round, and the region was a popular boating, camping, and skiing destination. During the 1980 eruption, the lake was dramatically uplifted. Thousands of trees were uprooted and the lake sloshed water 800 feet upward. Once Spirit Lake settled again, it was smaller and much shallower than before. The ... 

The Lincoln Memorial

... that the grandeur of Abraham Lincoln s memorial does not suit his style; he was a modest man why immortalize him in a 99-foot tall Greek temple? But supporters celebrate his grand achievements. Shortly after Abraham Lincoln became US President, several states seceded from the Union. Before his presidency ... 

Democracy And Tasty Treats At Faneuil Hall

... that program to a halt. Since 1748, the first floor has served as a public marketplace; Peter Faneuil encouraged pushcart vendors to permanently set up shop. The second floor has long featured the meeting hall, though it was briefly converted a theater during the British occupation of 1774. The first ... 

Planning To get Married : Register For Free